Fostering Lifelong Community Among the FUMFA family

Biographies

Ashley C. Andersen Zantop

Ashley Andersen Zantop writes and edits fiction and nonfiction. She is group publisher and general manager of Capstone, one of the largest independent publishers of children’s supplemental educational and trade titles and reading software. Andersen Zantop earned her MFA in creative writing from Fairfield University, degrees in English literature (AB) and elementary education (AB.ED) from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, as well as teaching certificates (CERT K-5, CERT 6-8). Andersen Zantop founded and serves as co-president of the Fairfield University MFA Alumni Association.

Adele Annesi

Adele Annesi is an award-winning writer and editor. Adele crafts stories, columns and reviews for various journals, including Southern Literary Review, where she was managing editor. A co-founder of the Ridgefield Writers Conference, Adele received an MFA in creative writing from Fairfield University, and her flash fiction has been adapted for the stage. A professor of writing, Adele is completing a novel set in Italy.

Travis Baker

Travis Baker works as an adjunct professor of English at the University of Maine-Orono. His work has been published in Spry Lit, Masons Road, Stolen Island, Hawk & Handsaw and The Maine Edge, among others. His play, One Blue Tarp was named the 2013 Best in Maine in the Clauder New England Playwrights competition and is part of the Penobscot Theatre Company’s 40th Anniversary Season.

Photography: Jason Smith

Rachel Basch

Rachel Basch is the author of the novels Degrees of Love, The Passion of Reverend Nash and (forthcoming) The Listener. She teaches in Fairfield University’s MFA program and in Wesleyan University’s Graduate Liberal Studies Program.

Michael Bayer

Michael Bayer writes fiction that explores darkness, crime and identity. He holds an MFA from Fairfield University, where he is co-president of the MFA Alumni Association, and teaches writing and communications at the City University of New York. Previously, he spent two decades working in corporate communications and public relations. He lives in Westchester County, New York, where his three Rhodesian Ridgebacks run the show.

Chris Belden

Chris Belden is the author of the novels Shriver (2013) and Carry-on (2012), as well as the story collection The Floating Lady of Lake Tawaba (2014). He is founder of the Ridgefield Writers Workshop, and co-founder of the Ridgefield Writers Conference. He has taught writing at Fairfield University, as well as less traditional venues as senior centers, soup kitchens and a maximum security prison.

Mark Berry

Mark is an airline pilot with an MFA from Fairfield University, the author of a memoir, 13,760 Feet—MyPersonal Hole in the Sky (with thirty-four companion songs) and two novels, a contributing editor for Airways magazine, and a former managing editor for Mason’s Road literary journal. His work has also appeared in 4’33”, Aerospace Testing Int’l, AOPA Flight Training, BMW Owners News, Connecticut newspapers, Epiphany, ERAU EaglesNEST, Graze, LIFT, MilSpeak Memo, Port Cities Review, Rogue, So…Stories, The Stoneslide Corrective, The Story Shack, TARPA Topics, Under the Sun, and Write This.

Lary Bloom

Lary Bloom is the author of eight nonfiction books and of the upcoming Sol LeWitt: A Life of Ideas, from Farrar, Straus and Giroux. He is a former columnist for the New York Times, the Miami Herald, the Hartford Courant and Connecticut Magazine. He is a book editor and cofounder of Praiano Writers, a workshop on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. His website is www.larybloom.net.

Lisa Calderone

Lisa Calderone is a communications consultant and web designer, and the founding editor of Mason’s Road, Fairfield University’s online literary journal. Author of How to Raise a Family & A Career Under One Roof (Bookhaven Press, 1997), she built an author platform and online community for entrepreneurial parents from 1998-2005 that led to a spin-off book entitled The Entrepreneurial Parent (Tarcher/Putnam, 2002) with best-selling co-authors Paul and Sarah Edwards. She lives, works, and writes in Guilford, Connecticut.

Joseph Carvalko

Joseph Carvalko is an author and lawyer. His recent novel, We Were Beautiful Once, Chapters from a Cold War (Sunbury Press, 2013) was inspired by a trial he conducted. He also recently authored The Techno-human Shell-A Jump in the Evolutionary Gap (Sunbury Press, 2012). When not writing, he is an adjunct at Quinnipiac University School of Law, a member of the Community Bioethics Forum, Yale School of Medicine and a member of the Yale Technology and Ethics working group, and the ABA Section on Science and Technology, a jazz pianist and inventor with ten patents. Learn more at www.carvalko.com.

Abbey Cleland

Abbey Cleland writes fiction, TV, film, and promotional content for a variety of LA-based studios and independent clients. Since studying creative writing at The Ohio State University and The New School, she’s optioned five romantic comedies, and earned an MFA from Fairfield University. Above all, Abbey believes in hard work, October baseball, and that in each of our daily lives, there’s a delicious story to be told. Please visit: abbeycleland.com.

Bonnie Cook

Bonnie Cook teaches English and public speaking, and occasionally meditation, at Hudson Valley Community College. Her articles have appeared in Integral Yoga Magazine, Potluck Pedagogy, and Academic Minutes. Thirty years after obtaining an MA degree, Bonnie added an MFA in memoir from Fairfield University. She leads a writers’ group, plays in a ping-pong league, is an avid swimmer and lives in an 1880s farmhouse at the edge of a wetland in upstate New York. Currently, she’s writing poetry.

Erin Corriveau

Erin A. Corriveau is an emotional archeologist who graduated from Fairfield University’s MFA program with a concentration in creative nonfiction. Her writing has been published in (em): A Review of Text and Image, Revolution House, Lunch Ticket, Paper Tape, Shoreline Literary Arts Magazine,The Fall River Spirit, and RedFez. She is the co-founder and editor of Spry Literary Journal, and is currently at work on a collection of linked essays. Her blog, Reinventing Erin, is her outlet for ruminating on the minutiae of everyday life.

Cisco Covino

Cisco Covino enjoys making pizza and riding his bike around Boston. He also enjoys being the art editor for Spry Literary Journal.

Alan Davis

Alan Davis’s third collection of stories, So Bravely Vegetative, won the Prize Americana for Fiction. His other two prize-winning collections are Rumors from the Lost World and Alone with the Owl. Davis has received two Fulbright awards, a Minnesota State Arts Board Fellowship, and a Loft-McKnight Award of Distinction in Creative Prose. He also serves as senior editor at New Rivers Press, which is associated with Minnesota State University in Moorhead, where he’s professor of English. He can be found on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Carol Ann Davis

Carol Ann Davis is the recipient of an NEA Fellowship in poetry and the author of Psalm and Atlas Hour, both from Tupelo Press. After directing the creative writing program at The College of Charleston and editing Crazyhorse for a decade, in 2012 she joined the writing faculty of Fairfield University. Recent work has appeared or is forthcoming in Agni, The Southern Review, and Image.

Alena Dillon

Alena Dillon is the author of the humor collection I Thought We Agreed to Pee in the Ocean: And Other Amusings From A Girl Wearing Sweatpants. Her work has appeared in publications including The Huffington Post, The Rumpus, Pithead Chapel, The Long River Review, and in all ten magazines of the Weston Magazine Group. She lives in New York with her husband. They wish they had a dog.

Rebecca Dimyan

Rebecca Dimyan has a BA in English from Boston University and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Fairfield University. She is a writer, teacher, and food journalist. Her published work has appeared in L’Allure des Mots, the Ampersand Review, The Fat City Review, eChook, and The Cupboard Magazine. Rebecca teaches First Year Writing at Fairfield University.

Jennifer M. Emerson

Jennifer received her MFA in creative writing from Fairfield University in 2011. Her debut novel, Dickens and the Whore, was the basis for her MFA studies. A living history playwright and actress, Jennifer enjoys bringing history and literature alive in fun, fresh and believable ways. When her nose isn’t stuck in a 19th century text, she probably can be found playing the harp or basking on the rocks of the nearest beach she can find.

David Fitzpatrick

David Fitzpatrick grew up in Guilford, CT, graduated from Skidmore College in 1988, and received his MFA from Fairfield University in 2011. His memoir Sharp: My Story of Madness, Cutting and How I Reclaimed My Life, was published by HarperCollins in 2012. He’s married to Amy Holmes, the incredible writer, photographer, and real estate research analyst. His writing can be found at The Perch and New Haven Review. The two also offer speaking engagements. Their website is davidfitzpatrickbooks.com

Heather Frizzell

Heather Frizzell is a writer, teacher, and lover of fiction in all mediums. She earned a BFA in writing, literature, and publishing from Emerson College in 2007 and an MFA in creative writing from Fairfield University in 2011. She is currently at work on a young adult book series and also teaches college writing at Bunker Hill Community College. She lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

Stephanie Harper

Stephanie Harper received her Masters of Fine Arts in creative writing at Fairfield University with an emphasis in fiction in July 2012. Her work can be found in The Montreal Review, Poetry Quarterly, Midwest Literary Magazine, Forever Buffs Insider, and Haiku Journal. She served as fiction co-editor for Mason’s Road Literary Journal. She lives in Denver, Colorado and is working on publishing her first novel.

Deborah Henry

Deborah Henry’s debut novel, The Whipping Club was selected for O Magazine’s July Summer Reading Issue and named to Kirkus Reviews’ “Best of 2012.” She is currently working on her next book. Visit her at www.deborahhenryauthor.com. She is an active member of The Academy of American Poets, a board member of Cavankerry Press and a patron of the Irish Arts Center in New York.

Elizabeth Hilts

The author of four internationally best-selling humor books, Elizabeth Hilts earned her MFA in creative writing at Fairfield University. Formerly the editor of an alternative newsweekly and editorial director for direct mail companies, she is an adjunct professor at local colleges and universities. She is currently working on a memoir, a novel, and personal essays.

Linsey Jayne

LinseyJayne received her MFA from Fairfield University. She has served as poetry editor for Mason’s Road, as well as student editor for the Bryant Literary Review and the opinion section editor of The Archway, and is currently the co-founding editor of Spry Literary Journal. Linsey lives in Boston, Massachusetts, where she is currently at work on her first collection of poetry, entitled Idle Jive.

Lisa Diane Kastner

Lisa Diane Kastner is the former features editor for the Picolata Review and journalist for the Philadelphia Theater Review. Her short stories have appeared in StraightJackets Magazine and HESA Inprint, to name a few. She was featured in the Fresh Lines @ Fresh Nine, a public reading hosted by Gross McCleaf Art Gallery and is the former president of Pennwriters and Running Wild Writers. For more information, go to www.lisadianekastner.com.

Meredith Wallace Kazer

Meredith Wallace Kazer, PhD, APRN, CNL, A/GNP-BC, FAAN is professor and associate dean at Fairfield University School of Nursing. She is the author of over one hundred nursing and health-related publications, including ten books.

Brooke Adams Law

Brooke Adams Law lives in New York with her husband, where she is finishing her first novel. She holds an MFA in fiction from Fairfield University and a BA in English from Vassar College. She continues to struggle with allowing her artist time to get out and play, but she’s pretty sure there’s meaning in the struggle all the same.

Phil Lemos

Phil Lemos writes the blog Life in the Philloverse and has published three short stories: “Let It Go”, “BMW Supermodel” and “Upset of the Century.” He has an MFA in fiction from Fairfield University and is working on a novel. You can follow him on Twitter.

Suzanne Matson

Suzanne Matson is the author of the novels The Tree-Sitter, A Trick of Nature, and The Hunger Moon. Her books of poems are Durable Goods and Sea Level. Her poems, short stories, and essays have appeared in The American Poetry Review, Poetry, The Boston Review, Carolina Quarterly, Poetry Northwest, The Southern Poetry Review, The Harvard Review, Indiana Review, Mid-American Review,Shenandoah, The New York Times Magazine, The Boston Globe, Child, and The Seattle Times, among others. She is a professor at Boston College and taught in the Fairfield MFA Program from 2011 to 2013.

Jean M. Medeiros

Jean M. Medeiros is a fiction writer, editor, auntie and Rhode Islander, with an MFA in creative writing from Fairfield University, an M.S. from Johnson & Wales University and a certificate in creative writing from the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program, where she was also nominated for the Kirkwood Literary Prize. She owns Medeiros Editing & Consulting and has published fiction and non-fiction, including co-writing two legal manuals for the National Business Institute. She is crafting her second novel.

Pete Nelson

Pete Nelson lives with his wife and son in Westchester, New York. He got his MFA from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop and has written both fiction and non-fiction for magazines. His WWII history, Left For Dead (Random House, 2002) won the 2003 Christopher award and was named to the American Library Association’s 2003 top ten list. His novel, I Thought You Were Dead (Algonquin, April 2010) was named the Indie Next #1 Choice and reached the NEIBA Bestsellers List. He’s currrenly working on his next novel.

A.J. O’Connell

A.J. O’Connell is the author of two books: Beware the Hawk (2012) and The Eagle & The Arrow (2013), both published by Battered Suitcase Press. She got her start as an editorial assistant at The Boston Herald, worked for nine years as a reporter at The Norwalk Hour, and freelanced for various publications. Her creative work has appeared in various magazines and journals. Currently she teaches journalism at Norwalk Community College. She can be found at ajoconnell.com.

Photography: David Esposito

Ioanna Opidee

Ioanna Opidee has taught writing and literature at Fairfield University, University of Connecticut Stamford, University of Massachusetts Boston, and Florida Atlantic University. She has completed a novel and is currently working on a collection of essays.

Karen Osborn

Karen Osborn is the author of four novels: Patchwork, Between Earth and Sky, The River Road, and most recently, Centerville. Her awards include the 2013 Independent Publishers Award for Fiction and The New York Times Notable Book Award. Her poetry and short stories have appeared nationally in journals such as The Southern Review, Poet Lore, Kansas Quarterly, The Centennial Review, and The Wisconsin Review.

Steve Otfinoski

Steve Otfinoski received his MFA from Fairfield University in 2010. He has published more than 160 young adult books. Three of his books have been named Books for the Teen Age by the New York Public Library. He is also a playwright and teaches composition and creative writing at Fairfield University.

William Patrick

William Patrick’s works have been published or produced in many genres: creative nonfiction, poetry, fiction, screenwriting, and drama. His latest book, The Call of Nursing: Voices from the Front Lines of Health Care, was published in July, 2013. Saving Troy, (2009), chronicles a year spent riding along with firefighters and paramedics. His memoir in poetry, We Didn’t Come Here for This (1999), was published by BOA Editions, as was These Upraised Hands (1995), and a novel, Roxa: Voices of the Culver Family. More information is available at www.williampatrickwriter.com.

Justin Scace

After achieving an undergraduate degree in psychology from Colby College, Justin Scace worked a variety of jobs including bartender, census taker, and volunteer for a horse carriage-driving program. He graduated with his MFA in creative writing (fiction) from Fairfield University in January of 2011. About a month later he was hired by his current employer, one of the largest independent audiobook companies in the nation. He lives in southeastern Connecticut.

Sarah Z. Sleeper

Sarah Z. Sleeper writes fiction and poetry. In her twenty-year writing career prior to completing her MFA, she freelanced for Fortune, The Christian Science Monitor, The National Journal and others. http://www.SarahZSleeper.com.

Barbara Wanamaker

Barbara Wanamaker writes every damn day nestled in her porch office, her dog Riley curled up at her feet, overlooking Stratford, Connecticut. Her non-fiction piece, Errands, appears in the inaugural issue of Spry Literary Journal.

Michael White

Michael White has authored six novels: Soul Catcher, a Booksense and Historical Novels Review selection, and a finalist for the Connecticut Book Award, A Brother’s Blood, a New York Times Book Review Notable Book and a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers nominee; The Blind Side of the Heart, A Dream of Wolves, and The Garden of Martyrs, a Connecticut Book Award finalist. His novel, Beautiful Assassin, won the 2011 Connecticut Book Award for Fiction. He was the founding editor of American Fiction as well as Dogwood and is the director of Fairfield University’s MFA Creative Writing Program.

Matthew Winkler

Matthew Winkler’s passion for hands-on learning has propelled him twice around the world and through all fifty states. Matt is currently teaching at South Kent School while writing a nonfiction book related to his TED-Ed video, “What Makes a Hero?” Follow Matt at EducationUnusual.com or @EdUnusual.

Baron Wormser

Baron Wormser is the author/co-author of thirteen full-length books and a poetry chapbook. Wormser has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, Bread Loaf, and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. From 2000 to 2006 he served as poet laureate of the state of Maine. He teaches in the Fairfield University MFA Program and is director of educational outreach for the Frost Place in Franconia, NH. His most recent book is a novel, Teach Us That Peace, about which Kirkus Reviews wrote, “Wormser has a miraculous ability to evoke a sense of time and place.”

Zac Zander

Zac Zander lives in Connecticut with his dog, Kaki, who is named after the musician, not the pants. He holds an MFA from Fairfield University and is working on a collection of essays.

Heather Zullinger

Heather Zullinger, BA/English Literature & Creative Writing, is a professionally trained instructor in the Barre Fitness method, which she teaches regularly throughout Fairfield County, CT. Prior to this time, she was an advertising manager in the consumer magazine publishing industry.